Government Shutdown After March 5th?

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Once again it looks like our representatives in the House and Senate are going to play brinksmanship with the welfare of their constituents.  Rather than engage in meaningful and honest debate to solve our financial problems, they set up a faux reality of fear to see who will back down first.

Of course the United States is in a lousy financial condition.  The “due date” on our reckless spending over decades will eventually come to pass.  Failure to begin tackling the tough decisions will only result in unnecessary distress for everyone.

As I watch the many protesters arguing for their own priorities on cutting spending, particularly with regard to Social Security and Medicare, I have a personal interest at stake   If there is a shutdown after March 5^th, my Social Security check will NOT be in the mail as usual.  I am one who receives my deposit on the second Wednesday each month.  That comes after the shutdown.  So, who takes up the slack for those of us who are on fixed income based on that monthly check?  That check is calculated on the amount of time we have worked and what we and our employers have contributed over our work life.  This is NOT welfare.

There are NO EASY ANSWERS, but there will NEVER be any answers if our representatives do not get serious about solving the problem.  We are ALL going to have to make reasonable sacrifices.  Our representatives have their government health care.  They have their $174,000 plus salaries.  They have four retirement benefit options for life.  They are so far removed from the people they are supposed to be serving that it should not surprise us that they cannot negotiate in good faith. 

Let them go without their paychecks. 

Let them go without their health care. 

Let them live on Social Security when they retire.

So have your fun scaring the living daylights out of some of us while you dither away precious time that could be used toward solving the problem.